Field
Disclosed herein are agrochemical formulations for treating plants, processes for preparing these formulations and processes for their use for treating plants and/or their habitat.
Description of Related Art
Agrochemical active components (sometimes referred to as agrochemical active ingredients) are often solid particles, crystal-like particles or oily liquids, which do not disperse in water, or disperse only with difficulty, but which are to be brought into aqueous suspension for their final use. These agrochemical active ingredients, such as herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and the like are sometimes first dissolved in a water immiscible solvent. Such an agrochemical active ingredient when dissolved in a water immiscible solvent is referred to as an Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC).
Optionally, surfactants are added before the solution is emulsified in water. The solution of the active ingredient in the water immiscible solvent is also used for the convenience of e.g. transportation, storage, and/or dosing with water.
Sometimes, some water is already added to the formulation, pre-forming an emulsion in water (EW). A special type of EW are so-called micro-emulsions (ME), where the droplets of water immiscible solvent with active components are so small that light is not scattered, providing a water-clear or translucent liquid.
These EC or EW formulations comprise, for example, emulsifiers and/or dispersants, solvents and, additionally the cosolvent such as VOCs. In general, the efficacy of these agrochemical active compound formulations is very good.
Solvents often used to provide EC or EW include aromatic hydrocarbons, such as SOLVESSO® solvents of Exxon Mobil, paraffinic hydrocarbons such as EXXSOL® solvents of Exxon Mobil, cyclic hydrocarbons such as cyclo-hexanone and isophorone, pyrrolidone solvents such as N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and ester solvents such as methyl-oleate and EXXATE® solvents of ExxonMobil. These solvents often have the disadvantages that they exhibit significant toxicity to the users exposed to them, they are highly volatile, and/or they have a flash point causing them to be considered highly flammable.
As a result, the United States Environmental Protection Agency reviews ingredients in pesticidal formulations in addition to the active ingredients present. In Europe, the E.E.C. Council is at an advanced stage of introducing legislation for regulating the use of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and will shortly require an eco-labelling of formulations which contain such VOCs. Further, Canada and Germany already have a system of labelling.